Verbena plant named ‘Duempsopicha’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Duempsopicha’, characterized by its semi-upright and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and large pink and white-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane in mounded umbels.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEMPSOPICHA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duempsopicha’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new vigorous Verbena plants with numerous large and attractive flowers.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2009 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number V08-5799-001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number F-01-23-009, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since July, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duempsopicha’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duempsopicha’ as a new and distinct Verbena plant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large pink and white-colored flowers that are held above and         beyond the foliar plane in mounded umbels.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the male parent selection have white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena hybrida ‘Tierra Apple Blossom’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Verbena differed from plants of ‘Tierra Apple Blossom’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Tierra Apple Blossom’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena had smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Tierra Apple Blossom’.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and ‘Tierra Apple Blossom’ differed         in flower color as plants of ‘Tierra Apple Blossom’ had         purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duempsopicha’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Duempsopicha’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 12-cm containers during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Verbena production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time about weeks after planting and were ten weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida ‘Duempsopicha’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number V08-5799-001, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number F-01-23-009, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Semi-upright and mounding plant habit; freely             branching habit with about six primary lateral branches with             secondary lateral branches potentially forming at every             node; pinching enhances lateral branch development; dense             and bushy plant habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of inflorescences).—About 15             cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 20 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 14.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Color.—Close to 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Lobed.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, coarse.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 146A; venation, close to 146D. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B; venation,             close to 146D.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.8 mm. Diameter: About 2.1 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to             146B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             hemispherical terminal umbels; umbels dense and mounding;             numerous umbels per plant; flowers face upward or outwardly             depending on position in the umbel; freely flowering habit             with about 15 to 28 flowers per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             the spring through the fall in Germany; plants begin             flowering about eight weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about one week on             the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.6 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Tubular. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Salverform, five-parted fused corolla.             Diameter: About 1.8 cm. Depth: About 2.2 cm. Corolla tube             diameter: About 2 mm. Corolla tube length: About 2.2 cm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.             Petal lobe length: About 7.8 mm. Petal lobe width: About             8.2 mm. Petal lobe shape: Obovate. Petal lobe apex:             Emarginate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: Close to 68C; towards the             throat, close to 155D. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 68D; tube, close to 145C to 145D.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx with five fused             sepals. Sepal length: About 1 cm. Sepal width: About 1 mm.             Sepal shape: Ligulate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin:             Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent,             coarse. Sepal color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146D             and 144A.         -   Stipules.—Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate with acute apex. Color: Close to 144A and 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement:             About four to five per flower, adnate to corolla tube.             Anther length: About 0.7 mm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther             color: Close to 144B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:             Close to 2D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 1.6 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color:             Close to 144A. Style length: About 1.5 cm. Style color:             Close to 144D. Ovary color: Close to 144C. Fruits and seeds:             Fruit and seed development has not been observed on plants             of the new Verbena. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Duempsopicha’ as illustrated and described. 